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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · rush · mug · kid · hand · pit · wound · pass

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. hand — help
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wound — an injury
  7. kid — to tease
  8. mug — a face
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. mug — to rob
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rush — hurry
  17. wound — an injury
  18. pit — in a race
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. pass — a permit
  21. kid — child
  22. swing — in golf
  23. pit — a hole
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com